Future Classrooms
It is important to remember that the IWBs are not a ‘substitute’ to the teacher but rather more a tool to complement traditional methods of information delivery, and the teachers role in it would be more as a ‘facilitator’ and ‘guide’ rather than a source of knowledge. In the same way that there are good and poor classroom teachers, there are likely good and poor IWB teaching and learning experiences. Because technology does not replace a teacher but only facilitates better learning experiences. The teacher’s role within the IWB arena may be seen, then, as a manager of knowledge, a facilitator who provides advice in exploration, a guide, a helper and an assistant (Goldman & Torrisi-Steele, 2002).
“Good teaching remains good teaching with or without the technology; the technology might enhance the pedagogy only if the teachers and pupils engage with it and understood its potential.” (Higgins, Beauchamp & Miller, 2007, p.217; Cited by Murcia & McKenzie, 2009).
Therefore, we have a choice in the way IWBs/technology is used and developed (Karaliotas, 1997) and that choice is, to use it for “Chalk and talk” (Murcia & McKenzie, 2009) or for Effective Learning Episodes (Latheef and Romeo, 2010).
IWB Shootout
